A few days later, just some distance from the gates of Konoha Village, five figures slowly walked over.
The massive wooden walls loomed ahead, familiar and imposing, the Leaf symbol carved proudly into the gates like it had been there since the dawn of time.
Snow Hidden Village's team had arrived.
Well...
Finally arrived.
Kimimaro stopped first.
He looked up at the gates, then down at the road behind them, then—very deliberately—turned his gaze toward Karin.
His expression was calm.
"We are late," he said flatly.
Karin, who was busy stretching her arms and yawning like she'd just woken up from a nap instead of finishing a multi-day journey, waved him off.
"Relax, Bones. We're not that late."
Kimimaro inhaled slowly.
"We could have arrived yesterday evening," he continued, voice level but edged with quiet accusation. "If not for unnecessary detours. And sightseeing. And 'checking out local food stalls.' And you insisting on racing merchants for no reason."
"They looked fast," Karin shot back immediately. "I was curious."
"That curiosity cost us three hours."
"Worth it. I won."
"You challenged a civilian with a donkey."
"And I still won."
Kimimaro closed his eyes for a brief second, like a man praying for patience he did not possess.
"My Lord entrusted us with representing Snow Hidden Village," he said. "Punctuality reflects discipline."
Karin scoffed. "Wow. You sound like a grumpy dad."
"If being responsible makes me a 'dad,' then so be it."
Haku immediately stepped in, smiling before the air could freeze solid.
"Now, now," he said gently, hands folded behind his back. "We arrived safely, didn't we? That's what matters."
Hinata nodded quickly beside him, her blindfold fluttering slightly in the breeze.
"Y-Yes… and we didn't encounter any trouble along the way," she added softly. "So… I think it's okay."
Kimimaro glanced at them.
His expression softened—just a little.
"…I am not angry," he said after a pause. "I am simply… dissatisfied."
Karin smirked. "See? He's mad."
"I am not mad."
"You're mad."
"I am focused."
"You're mad-focused."
Kimimaro stopped responding entirely.
Which somehow felt worse.
Yugao, who had been leaning casually against a nearby tree with her arms crossed, finally sighed and pushed herself upright.
She joined them as soon as she finished her business in the Land of Snow, catching up almost immediately after their departure.
Obito had instructed her to take command the moment she reached them and to move the team out at full speed.
"Alright, children," she said dryly. "Save the domestic disputes for later. We're here."
She nodded toward the open gates.
"From here on out, you're genin of the Snow Hidden Village. Try not to cause any trouble."
Karin grinned instantly. "No promises."
Yugao shot her a look. "I'm serious."
"I know," Karin replied cheerfully. "That's why it's funny."
Hinata fidgeted nervously. "Um… Karin-chan… maybe we really should be careful…"
Karin glanced at her, then softened just a bit.
"Relax, Hinata. If anything happens—"
She hooked a thumb back over her shoulder.
"...we've got Commander Bones."
Kimimaro straightened unconsciously.
"I will respond to any threat immediately."
"See?" Karin said smugly. "Walking insurance policy."
Haku laughed quietly. "At least try to enjoy it, Kimimaro. This is our first time in Konoha."
Kimimaro looked at the towering gates again, eyes sharp and unreadable.
"…Define enjoy," he said calmly.
Haku blinked.
"I mean—just look around. Take it in."
Kimimaro paused.
"…Then the village gates are well constructed. Defensive coverage is adequate."
Karin burst out laughing.
"Holy shit, Haku. You didn't relax him—you gave him a new objective."
Hinata smiled softly, the tension easing at last.
--
"This is Konoha… huh?"
As the massive gates loomed closer, Karin kept her hands tucked casually into her black jacket pockets, eyes narrowed with sharp curiosity.
"Tch." She smirked. "Old-fashioned doesn't even begin to cover it. What, did the Stone Age forget to take them with it?"
Haku and Kimimaro exchanged a brief glance.
They didn't speak, but the understanding was mutual.
Konoha wasn't hostile territory but it was another village's core. And a great one at that. Carelessness here would be stupidity.
Kimimaro's posture subtly shifted, his awareness expanding outward like an invisible net.
"This village is well defended, even with its gates open to the world," he said calmly.
Haku nodded gently. "They're relaxed… but not careless. It's the kind of vigilance that comes from confidence."
Karin tilted her head slightly, eyes glinting. "Guess that means we can't just kick the gate open and announce ourselves."
Kimimaro did not blink. "That would be inefficient."
Hinata, walking quietly beside them, felt something stir deep inside her chest.
Behind the black blindfold, her eyes shimmered faintly.
A strange warmth mixed with unease washed over her, a nostalgic sensation she couldn't quite put into words.
"…Konoha," she whispered softly, almost to herself.
Haku noticed immediately and slowed his pace to match hers.
"Are you alright, Hinata?" he asked gently.
She hesitated, her fingers tightening at her sides. "I… I think so. It just feels… strange, being here again after everything."
Karin glanced back at her, eyebrow raised. "Oh? Getting homesick already?"
Hinata shook her head quickly. "N-No! It's not like that. Just… a feeling."
Kimimaro glanced at her, then frowned slightly.
Years of living alongside Obito and the others had only made his personality even more off—far stranger than he ever was in the days he followed Orochimaru.
In anime, he had regarded Orochimaru as his entire world, even while being treated as nothing more than a disposable tool.
Now, after being genuinely taken care of in the Snow Hidden Village, Kimimaro had become something else entirely.
A time bomb—one that would detonate the moment anyone dared to make the wrong move against them.
"…If this place causes you distress," he said quietly, "inform me immediately."
Hinata flinched, well aware of what Kimimaro was like.
"N-No, no! I'm fine, Kimimaro-san—really!"
Haku smiled softly, stepping between them before Kimimaro could spiral into threat elimination mode.
"It's natural," he said. "Some places leave an imprint on people. Especially villages."
Yugao was experiencing the same thing as looked at Konoha's gates and fell briefly into a daze.
After so many years, she had come back again.
Memories from her former life surfaced unbidden—along with the moment she first met Obito and she couldn't help but let out a soft chuckle.
Soon, she withdrew her gaze and stepped forward with the trio.
She understood exactly why she had been chosen to lead the team this time. It had to be Obito's intention—forcing her to face her past head-on, without hesitation.
Really… what an idiot, Yugao thought inwardly. The past doesn't matter to me anymore.
To her, Konoha stirred a faint sense of nostalgia but nothing more than that.
Her home had already changed long ago.
It was wherever Obito was and it had been that way for years now.
"Stop!"
They'd barely crossed the gate before Konoha's gate guardians intercepted them, standing so stiff and serious it was almost impressive.
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